Articles Spring 2013

Thermal Bliss(8th April 2013)

Leukerbad, Wallis / Valais, Switzerland.

A day at a thermal centre is invariably relaxing and purifying. After an all too long winter, today’s session was blissful. If you’ve never been to “thermae”, here’s what they’re about. First of all take a warm shower. Then, scrubbing your skin with coarse salt rids you of a lot of dead cells. A partner is always welcome to help. Scratch my back, and I'll... Another shower rinses off the salt. A steam bath is a second mild introduction to the whole process. It can also be a full treat in its own right. That’s what you get at the Moroccan “hammam”. Let the steam permeate every cell, feel how you slowly start to sweat, evacuating whatever your skin needs to get rid of. As an adept of yoga, I pay extra attention to the way I breathe in such an environ-ment. Fill your lungs with warm and moist air for a change. You cannot miss smokers, since they will instantly start to cough! A bubble bath or jacuzzi is perfect to activate the bloodstream and awaken all your senses. You can take a cup of tea or coffee on the way, but it’s recommended to drink a lot of water while you’re sweating profusely. In the thermal centre we go to, you can swim all year long indoors in ice cold water and outside in water at a temperature of 34 degrees Celcius. Both are great. Refreshing in very cold water feels great, especially in the Summer. Being able to swim in the open in any season is magic. There are several types of saunas at various temperatures. On condition your heart can stand the heat, this is a great therapy, very relaxing, nice to do with friends. You should alternate with very cold showers. We did all of that, in the centre as well as in the park around it. There is a sauna in a large hut, and the heat comes from wood fire instead of electric heating. It feels and smells great. To get to another one of the saunas, you’re passing through a large room where there’s snow and ice. It’s optional to sit down there for a few minutes and practice some vigorous breathing techniques! The climax consists of a longer sauna session during which an employee pours water and natural aromas on burning charcoal. When the session is over your body is naturally perfumed with mandarin or lavender and so on. This type of session is divided into two parts. You get to refresh your hands and feet with ice cubes and halfway everybody gets out – actually outside in the open air- for a cold shower or a dive in a tub filled with icy cold water. Cool! You get a slice of orange and grapefruit to refresh yourself. During the second half it gets even hotter. The employee swings around a large towel, creating a hot breeze that eventually produces a slightly burning sensation. The higher you sit on the stairs, the hotter it gets, so you can choose your place when you get in, and come down or simply leave the room when you feel you’ve had enough. Another swim and a nap will cap it all. Never tried it? You should! It’s gorgeous. There are so many artificial forms of pleasure, but I recommend WATER! Or, to be complete: water, steam, ice, fire and fresh air, relaxation on the lawn (the element earth) lying in the sun (fire also).

We go to a centre nearby, just North of the city. During the Summer months, you can spend the day reading or relaxing -or getting some tan- outside. There's also such a beautiful centre in the Belgian city of Spa, the one that gave its name to this type of activities all over the world. And in Switzerland, we've been to the thermal centre in Leukerbad. While swimming outside, you can see the high mountains right around the village. What could be more beautiful? We used to go to overcrowded swimming pools and cramped saunas before , but if you really want to rejuvenate yourself, feel alive and kicking... go spa, go thermal. Think it's too expensive? Don't we all have some futile and maybe even unhealthy habits we can give up? Save this way and you'll be able to pay for great bubbles and a day of thermal bliss!